The present invention relates to an articulated chain comprising chain links interconnected at chain hinges, wherein each chain hinge comprises a hinge pin and a hinge bearing surrounding said hinge pin.
Such articulated chains are often used in the field of technology as drive chains and also as conveying chains. In one of its simplest forms such an articulated chain is implemented as a flat-link articulated chain in the case of which inner chain links and outer chain links are arranged in alternating succession and the connection is established via a hinge sleeve of the inner chain link and a hinge pin of the outer chain link passed through this hinge sleeve. Wear of a chain occurs in many cases within the hinge bearing due to the sliding movement of the hinge pin on the inner surface of the hinge bearing. A large number of different measures has been taken so as to improve, with a lasting effect, these wear properties which are of decisive importance for the service life of a chain. On the one hand, structural measures have been taken and, on the other hand, it has been attempted to achieve an improvement on the basis of the materials selected and the tempering/heat treatment of said materials. Also the lubrication of the hinge bearing is of great importance in the prior art. Many of the known measures do not produce the expected effect in practice and, consequently, only a small number of these measures have actually gained acceptance. Nevertheless, attempts to improve the service life of articulated chains are still made.